Thylacoleo carnifex

E614892

Thylacoleo carnifex was a large, extinct Australian marsupial predator, often called the “marsupial lion,” known for its powerful jaws and specialized shearing teeth.

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Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf extinct species
marsupial
metatherian
predator
biteForce exceptionally high for body size
bodyLength approximately 1.5–1.75 metres
bodyMass approximately 100–160 kilograms
causeOfExtinction climate change (hypothesized)
human impacts (hypothesized)
class Mammalia
coexistedWith early Aboriginal Australians
commonName marsupial lion
pouched lion
describedBy Richard Owen NERFINISHED
diet carnivorous
ecologicalRole specialized mammalian carnivore
extinctionStatus extinct
family Thylacoleonidae NERFINISHED
fossilSite Naracoorte Caves NERFINISHED
Nullarbor Plain caves NERFINISHED
Riversleigh NERFINISHED
genus Thylacoleo NERFINISHED
geographicDistribution eastern Australia NERFINISHED
southern Australia
southwestern Australia NERFINISHED
habitat open forests
scrublands
woodlands
hasFossilEvidence skeletal remains
trackways
kingdom Animalia
lastAppearance Late Pleistocene
locomotion climbing-capable
quadrupedal
nativeTo Australia
notableAnatomicalFeature enlarged shearing premolars
large retractable thumb claw
powerful jaws
reduced incisors
robust forelimbs
short powerful tail
order Diprotodontia NERFINISHED
phylum Chordata
preyedOn Diprotodon NERFINISHED
giant kangaroos
large marsupials
taxonRank species
temporalRange Pleistocene
trophicLevel apex predator
yearDescribed 1859

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Vombatiformes notableExtinctMembers Thylacoleo carnifex